Going to church violates a plethora of biblical commandments, but this post will focus on a particular three: Philippians 4:8, 1 Corinthians 13:6, and Hebrews 10:24, 25.

Granted, the point being made by this post was arguable twenty years ago when Protestants were confused for the better, but since the Neo-Protestant resurgence is in full swing and has taken over the vast majority of evangelical churches in our day the point is now valid.

The displayed image with this post illustrates the crux of authentic Protestant sanctification. Notice that the focus is our sin, and the idea that we are a bottomless resource of unexposed sin. The downward trajectory is the focus in order to glorify God (the upward trajectory) and “make much of the gospel” (the bigger cross).

Problem is, the apostle Paul instructed us to “dwell” on what is honorable and good, not evil; ie., sin. See Philippians 4:8. Furthermore, and this addition is for free, Romans 6:6 states that in the saved person the body of sin has been brought to nothing. If that’s true, how is an application of the bottom downward trajectory even possible?

Secondly, Protestant worship at church is predicated on the official Reformation doctrine of mortification and vivification. As we repent in lieu of the sin-sniffing required at church (mortification), we once again rejoice in the saving mercy of Christ (vivification). This is facilitated by the praise and worship music presently popular in contemporary churches. In fact, the praise and worship construct of today’s evangelical churches is specifically geared towards vivification. In other words, the popularity of praise and worship music in our day didn’t just happen for any reason; it came into vogue as a result of the Neo-Protestant resurgence. This is how one John MacArthur Jr. colleague explains it:

“Progressive sanctification has two parts: mortification and vivification, ‘both of which happen to us by participation in Christ,’ as Calvin notes….Subjectively experiencing this definitive reality signified and sealed to us in our baptism requires a daily dying and rising. That is what the Reformers meant by sanctification as a living out of our baptism….and this conversion yields lifelong mortification and vivification ‘again and again.’ Yet it is critical to remind ourselves that in this daily human act of turning, we are always turning not only from sin but toward Christ rather than toward our own experience or piety” (Michael Horton: The Christian Faith; mortification and vivification, pp. 661-663 [Calvin Inst. 3.3.2-9]).

And,

“God gathers his people together in a covenantal event to judge and to justify, to kill and to make alive. The emphasis is on God’s work for us – the Father’s gracious plan, the Son’s saving life, death, and resurrection, and the Spirit’s work of bringing life to the valley of dry bones through the proclamation of Christ. The preaching focuses on God’s work in the history of redemption from Genesis through Revelation, and sinners are swept into this unfolding drama” (Christless Christianity p. 189).

So, Sunday “worship” is a “dying and raising.” We die to self via sin-sniffing resulting in the exaltation of vivification facilitated by gospel praise and worship music. We go in lowly and humble resulting in a resurrection of rejoicing.

What scripture does this violate? 1 Corinthians 13:6 which informs us that love does not rejoice in evil. In contrast, the Protestant doctrine of mortification and vivification results in a joyful resurrection from dwelling on sin.

And lastly, going to church for this reason, is in contrast to the biblical purpose for gathering together as stated by Hebrews 10:24, 25—to encourage each other unto good works.

What is the alternative? Get a Bible and assemble together weekly with like-minded believers for that very purpose, not dwelling on things that have been brought to nothing through Christ’s death on the cross.

It would seem that Socrates had one thing right for certain: people primarily learn from dialogue. At the end of this post, you will see a meme that I posted last year and was reposted by Facebook’s one-year memory option. Someone on my Facebook list commented on the post: “I agree mostly—the Crucifix is a symbol of death, but the EMPTY cross shows that Jesus conquered death.”

That statement raised an interpretive question in my mind that is the title of this post. No doubt, that’s an agreeable statement, but not Protestant. However, the truthful plausibility of the statement is indicative of Protestant contradiction. Once again, I must say that at least Catholics know what they believe because their crosses usually depict Christ yet hanging on it. So, in authentic Protestantism, what does an empty cross really illustrate?

To some, an empty cross may illustrate that Christ conquered death, and that is true, but again, that’s NOT Protestantism. So what does the empty cross really illustrate according to Protestant orthodoxy? We hear it constantly in sermons and on Christian radio:

“God resurrected Jesus from the dead to confirm that His death was a sufficient sacrifice for sin.”

Nope, that’s a false gospel. Christ’s resurrection was the establishment of the second part of Spirit baptism: being born again of which Christ was the first fruits. And by the way, we are justified by the new birth (Rom 4:25, 1Jn 3:8,9). The first part of Spirit baptism is dying with Christ as He died on the cross, and being resurrected from that death with the same power that resurrected Christ from the grave. This is what makes us literal members of God’s family. A mother who conceives is full of joy upon hearing the news from the doctor—not because she experienced the conception in some dramatic way. We rejoice that we are born again because we believe the report from the word of God—the good news.

If we make the resurrection about the sufficiency of Christ’s death that might mean His death has a continued need for those who think they are following Him, and in fact, that’s the case. Hence, the resurrection is not about bringing many sons to glory in the here and now through the new birth, but rather a confirmation that “Christians” remain dead in trespasses and sin, and Christ’s death on the cross is sufficient for the forgiveness of present and future sin…

…IF we return to that cross for forgiveness.

Look folks, the who’s who of Protestantism in our day say that all of the time in broad daylight and in no uncertain terms. This is nothing more or less than good old fashioned Reformation orthodoxy. That’s the root, and vestiges of its fruit can be seen in varying degrees in every Protestant denomination.

Instead of the resurrection bringing many sons to glory as new creatures in Christ through Spirit baptism, the resurrection merely confirms one’s continued need to return to the cross for forgiveness of present sin. And here is the metaphysical sleight of hand used by the Protestant philosopher kings: “The blood of Christ is sufficient for all sin; past, present, and future.” Yes, yes, yes, absolutely, Christ only died once, BUT His blood (death) is “sufficient” for all future sin. That’s because Protestant orthodoxy deems our sin as yet condemning.

Here is where I am going with this post: this is the EXACT same heresy that the Hebrew writer addressed in the letter to the Hebrews. Said author makes the point that Christ not only died once, but His blood was ALSO ONLY applied…ONCE. While Protestant scholars attest that Christ only died once, they call for the reapplication of His blood to every future sin. The Hebrew writer said “no” to this, and added that Christ entered the Holy of Holies ONCE to sprinkle His blood on the mercy seat for all sin. This is the dominate theme in Hebrews.

Note: in the book of Hebrews, Christ’s death, blood, and ENDING of sin all go together.

Note: in the contra gospel, the blood continues to be applied for a COVERING of sin, not an ENDING of sin. Therefore, apparently, God does remember present sin (see Heb 8:12) which makes another application of Christ’s blood necessary. Of course, we can’t practice continued animal sacrifices as the Judaizes did until the razing of the Temple, so it is affected through ritual. In Protestantism, that equals, church membership, sitting under “gospel preaching” by Protestant philosopher kings, the Lord’s Table, walking forward after a sermon (altar calls), etc., otherwise known as the “means of grace.”

For example, Martin Luther and John Calvin, the two primary undisputed forefathers of the Protestant Reformation, believed that water baptism is required to make one a member of a church, and that continued membership continually reapplies the cleansing of sin affected by water baptism. Said John Calvin:

Baptism is the initiatory sign by which we are admitted to the fellowship of the Church, that being ingrafted into Christ we may be accounted children of God (CI 4.15.1) Hence those who have thought that baptism is nothing else than the badge and mark by which we profess our religion before men, in the same way as soldiers attest their profession by bearing the insignia of their commander, having not attended to what was the principal thing in baptism; and this is, that we are to receive it in connection with the promise, “He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). (CI 4.15.1).

Nor is it to be supposed that baptism is bestowed only with reference to the past, so that, in regard to new lapses into which we fall after baptism, we must seek new remedies of expiation in other so-called sacraments, just as if the power of baptism had become obsolete. To this error, in ancient times, it was owing that some refused to be initiated by baptism until their life was in extreme danger, and they were drawing their last breath, that they might thus obtain pardon for all the past. Against this preposterous precaution ancient bishops frequently inveigh in their writings. We ought to consider that at whatever time we are baptised, we are washed and purified once for the whole of life. Wherefore, as often as we fall, we must recall the remembrance of our baptism, and thus fortify our minds, so as to feel certain and secure of the remission of sins. For though, when once administered, it seems to have passed, it is not abolished by subsequent sins (CI 4.15.3).

The Hebrew writer’s point? Nope, you can’t separate the ONE-TIME death of Christ from the ONE-TIME sprinkling of His blood; if you do, you are crucifying Christ again and putting Him to open shame again and again.

You can say the cross is empty all you want to, but it isn’t.

We must now once again remember the fundamental lesson pointed out by John Immel at TANC 2012; ALL actions/behavior are driven by LOGIC. No one does anything for no reason; there is logic behind it. There is a “why” behind every action. Some years ago, fundamental Baptists of every stripe went berserk because John MacArthur Jr. (while he was still only mildly confused) suggested that the blood of Christ was merely an idiom for Christ’s death. He suggested that there was nothing mystical or efficacious about the blood of Christ. The backlash seemed totally over the top. Every Baptist preacher I knew couldn’t even talk about it without every blood vessel in their neck bulging.

Why? Because in essence, MacArthur was saying that the blood of Christ was no longer needed to cover sin—that’s what was really driving the controversy and its frenzied reaction. Few recognized what was really behind all of the Scripture stacking from the book of Hebrews. In what seemed to be WWIII over mere semantics really boiled down to the separation of Christ’s death and His blood; the former happening once, but the latter needed for future sin. In his lesser confused state at the time, MacArthur suggested that the Baptist attitude toward the blood was little different than Catholicism, and he was right. Christ not only died once, He offered His blood once as our High Priest in the Holy of Holies.

The efficacy of the blood for present and future sins is, in reality, putting Christ back on the cross; this is the cardinal point of the Hebrew writer. Christ’s blood was an ending of sin, not a perpetual covering invoked by ongoing repentance to prevent condemnation. There is no longer any condemnation for God’s children and God does not remember their present or future sins. Christ took away sin when he died on the cross and offered his blood once—His blood is not a mere covering—it’s an ending.

BOTH happened ONCE, and ENDED ALL sin for ALL people for “ALL time” (Heb 9:26-28, 10:14).

And frankly, you go to the church temple to have your sins continually covered rather than meeting with family to encourage each other unto good works. You are not free to serve love; you are busy keeping yourself “covered by the righteousness of Christ, not a righteousness of your own.”

Curiously, the Hebrew writer also warns that the idea of perpetual application of Christ’s blood leads to willful sin. Why? Because what is the use in preventing sin? You are going to be at the temple every week sacrificing anyway, right? The idea of an ongoing covering rather than an ending of sin ALWAYS leads to a relaxing of the law and antinomianism (the absence of love in sanctification). This is also a major point made by Paul in the book of Galatians; those under the condemnation of the law will fulfill its demand for love through ritual rather than being free to love through a proper understanding of the new birth.

Under the reposting of the meme, I have included my Facebook response which might be helpful on another wise. But in closing, let me say that the Protestant cross is not really empty according to the Hebrew writer. For some who see it that way it is a nice and true thought, but it is not Protestant.

paul

Death is conquered PRESENTLY for “believers”? That’s true, BUT that is NOT Protestant Reformation orthodoxy. Nope. In Reformation doctrine, “saving faith” (note the present continuous tense) is defined as an ability for the yet spiritually dead to perceive the kingdom while remaining dead in trespasses and sin. Being baptized into church membership qualifies one for the “race of faith” which is rewarded with “final justification” for those of the preselected “perseverance” class of election. The other two predetermined classes are the “non-elect” and “the called” or temporary elect who are “not gifted with perseverance.”

Protestantism is predicated on NO ASSURANCE. The only thing one can be certain of follows: if you are not a member of a church you are of the non-elect. Church membership qualifies you to be either “called” or those gifted with perseverance and you basically don’t find out which until the final judgement.

But wait a minute! There is indeed good news according to Protestantism’s “Power of the Keys.” Whatever the elders bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever they loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. So, guess what? If the elders like you, you are probably in! You, at the very least, can claim this when you face Christ; unless of course, the elders are only acting like they like you. Do you now wonder why folks are so reluctant to cross the elders even when they are obviously dead wrong? Folks, this is the Reformation gospel in black and white, and in no uncertain terms.

So, let’s develop this even further. How do we run the race for salvation once we are entered into the race by church membership? Answer: by faith alone. But you say, “Uh Paul, how is ‘running’ by faith alone not a work; ie., by faith ALONE?” Good question. The way this works follows: you live by faith alone, and Jesus does the running. Then you ask: “But that would be a sure thing if Jesus is doing all of the running, no?” Well, that depends on how well you let Jesus do all of the running. You see, according to Protestantism, our strongest tendency as those yet dead in trespasses and sins is to think we can do a good work.

According to Martin Luther and John Calvin, the belief that any person can do a good work whether saved or lost is mortal sin (unforgivable) and the cardinal false gospel. But, if one believes that every work they do is evil, that is venial sin (forgivable) if one seeks ongoing forgiveness that can only be found within the confines of church membership.

Now you ask yet another question: “So, we just don’t do anything at all but believe?” No, you repent of everything you do, including good works; that’s doing something. Because our present sin; ie., EVERYTHING we do separates us from God’s salvation (defined by a fulfillment of the law’s constant demand for perfection), we must keep ourselves saved by continually returning to the same gospel that originally saved us (“We must preach the gospel to ourselves every day”).

And again, access to the gospel for forgiveness of present and future sin can only be found in the church. So, the only good works in our lives are done by Jesus and not us, but how in the world does that work? Well, we hear it all the time: “Jesus did it through me.” What does this mean? Here is how the Reformers explained it. The Christian life is “experienced subjectively.” In other words, we experience some works as if we are doing them, but really we aren’t. However, if we believe that everything we do is evil including what could be perceived as a good work, we believe a true gospel. Hence, our “Christian” life/experience is “subjective.” We don’t know if any good work we do is us or Jesus doing it because the two are experienced in the same way, but it is only a good work if Jesus did it because He is the perfect law-keeper.

This is because every work of every man whether lost or saved supposedly falls short of the law in some way. This is where Christian spiritual bumper stickers like “We are all just sinners saved by grace” come from. Note that “sinner” is in the present tense, and we are still saved by grace, or the same way we were originally saved. Salvation is a PROCESS, not a finished work.

Like this:

Posted in Uncategorized by Andy Young, PPT contributing editor on May 13, 2016

Originally published January 31, 2013

“Be sure of it: this is how Calvinists think; this is their worldview.”

“Don’t misunderstand: the problem of ‘victim mentality’ is not even on the radar screen—they have removed the word “victim” from their metaphysical dictionary.”

“Justice necessarily implies victim. Victim necessarily implies worth. All three are conspirators with the glory story.”

Martin Luther had more on his mind than silly Popes when he nailed his 95 Theses to the front door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany. That protest launched the Reformation, but six months later Luther presented the systematic theology of the Reformation to the Augustinian Order in Heidelberg. Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation laid the foundation, and John Calvin later articulated and applied its basic principles to the full spectrum of life in his Institutes of the Christian Religion.

The Cross Story and the Glory Story

Luther’s cross story, or theology of the cross is the crux of the Heidelberg Disputation and introduced in the first sentence of the Calvin Institutes:

Our wisdom, insofar as it ought to be deemed true and solid wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.

That’s Luther’s theology of the cross: a deeper and deeper knowledge of our putrid humanity as set against God’s holiness. And NOTHING in-between. All of creation, all events, and all reality contribute to deeper knowledge of one of these two, and then both as a deeper knowledge of each gives more understanding to the other; knowledge of both, and the experience of both. Hence, every blessing, including our good works which are done by the Holy Spirit to begin with, lends more understanding of God’s glory. Every evil event, sin, and tragedy lends deeper understanding in regard to our total depravity and worthlessness. But of course your mother is dying of cancer; I am amazed that God would give anyone as many years as He has given her. Who are we to think we deserve even one year of life? And what a wonderful opportunity for her to suffer the way Jesus suffered for us!

This is the cross story. See the illustration below. This is a contemporary depiction from that camp—this is their assessment:

Anything else at all that gives any credit to humanity—Christian or non-Christian is the “glory story.” That would be our glory specifically, and not Christ’s. To the degree that humanity is considered, the glory of Christ is “ECLIPSED.” This is the theses of a book written by John MacArthur associate Rick Holland: Uneclipsing The Son. Everything is perceived as speaking through one of these two perspectives. ANYTHING coming from what is perceived as the “glory story” is summarily dismissed. Be sure of it: this is how Calvinists think. This is their worldview.

In one of the former Resolved Conferences sponsored by John MacArthur and Holland, in one of his messages, Holland extols a letter written to Puritan Christopher Love by his wife as he awaited execution. Holland forgot to mention to those listening that Love was executed for espionage against the English government while letting the audience assume he was executed for loftier spiritual-like reasons. The following is excerpts from the letter:

O that the Lord would keep thee from having one troubled thought for thy relations. I desire freely to give thee up into thy Father’s hands, and not only look upon it as a crown of glory for thee to die for Christ, but as an honor to me that I should have a husband to leave for Christ…. I dare not speak to thee, nor have a thought within my own heart of my own unspeakable loss, but wholly keep my eye fixed upon thy inexpressible and inconceivable gain. Thou leavest but a sinful, mortal wife to be everlastingly married to the Lord of glory…. Thou dost but leave earth for heaven and changest a prison for a palace. And if natural affections should begin to arise, I hope that the spirit of grace that is within thee will quell them, knowing that all things here below are but dung and dross in comparison of those things that are above. I know thou keepest thine eye fixed on the hope of glory, which makes thy feet trample on the loss of earth.

Justice? That implies that humanity has some sort of value. That implies that life itself has some sort of value. That implies that humanity should be protected through threat of punishment. That’s the glory story. Therefore, Calvin stated the following:

Those who, as in the presence of God, inquire seriously into the true standard of righteousness, will certainly find that all the works of men, if estimated by their own worth, are nothing but vileness and pollution, that what is commonly deemed justice is with God mere iniquity; what is deemed integrity is pollution; what is deemed glory is ignominy (CI 3.12.4).

Death by Biblical Counseling

The church must face up to a sobering reality in our day. The vast majority of biblical counseling that goes on in our day is based on this construct—you will be counseled from the perspective of the cross story, and anything that smacks of the glory story will be snubbed. You are not a victim. There is no such thing as a victim. Christ was the only true victim in all of history. Don’t misunderstand: the problem of “victim mentality” is not even on the radar screen—they have removed the word “victim” from their metaphysical dictionary. “Victim” is part of the glory story; Christ as the only victim is the cross story. I am not a victim. That’s impossible because my sin nailed Christ to the cross. Thank you oh Lord that I was raped. Thank you for this opportunity to suffer for you. Thank you for the strength to forgive the one who raped me in the same way you forgave me. What a wonderful opportunity to show forth your gospel!

Hence, when the leaders of a Reformed church came to inform parents that a young man in that church had molested their toddler, this was the opening statement:

Today, we have before us an opportunity to forgive.

The parents were then counseled to not contact the authorities. Those who do are often brought up on church discipline. Justicenecessarily implies victim. Victim necessarily implies worth. All three are conspirators with the glory story. And be not deceived: this is the logic that drives Reformed organizations that are supposed to be mediators in the church; specifically, Peacemaker Ministries and G.R.A.C.E. A major player in the Biblical Counseling Movement is Paul David Tripp. In 2006, he wrote a book that articulates the horizontal application of Luther’s theology of the cross: “How people Change.” Of course, the title is a lie; if he really believed people change, that would be the glory story. Notice also that it is, “How People Change” and not, “How Christians Change.” That’s because this bunch see no difference in the transforming power of the new birth and ordinary Christ-rejecting people.

In the book, Tripp, like all who propagate Luther’s theology of the cross, posits the Bible as a “big picture” narrative of our redemptive life. The Bible is a mere tool for one thing only: leading us more and more into the cross story and away from the glory story. This is accomplished by using the Bible to enter into the cross narrative and thereby seeing our preordained part in the “big picture” narrative of redemptive history. Though Tripp is not forthright about it in the book, this is known as the Redemptive Historical Hermeneutic. By seeing our life through the cross story, we are empowered to live life for God’s glory. This is done by seeing ALL circumstances in life (Heat) as preordained in order to show our sinfulness (Thorns) and God’s goodness (Fruit) for the purposes of having a deeper understanding of both resulting in spiritual wellbeing. In other words, all of life’s circumstances are designed to give us a deeper understanding of the cross story: God’s holiness, and our sinfulness. I have taken his primary visual illustration from the book and drawn lines to the cross story illustration to demonstrate the relationship (click on image to enlarge):

Understanding this lends insight to Tripp citations on the Peacekeepers Ministries website:

Paul Trip wrote a great post over at The Gospel Coalition blog all about the need for pastors to pursue a culture of forgiveness in their ministry. Pastors (and anyone serving Christ) have a choice:

“You can choose for disappointment to become distance, for affection to become dislike, and for a ministry partnership to morph into a search for an escape. You can taste the sad harvest of relational détente that so many church staffs live in, or you can plant better seeds and celebrate a much better harvest. The harvest of forgiveness, rooted in God’s forgiveness of you, is the kind of ministry relationship everyone wants.”

Then he describes three ways forgiveness can shape your ministry. I’ve listed them, but you can read how he explains them in detail.

“1. Forgiveness stimulates appreciation and affection.

2. Forgiveness produces patience.

3. Forgiveness is the fertile soil in which unity in relationships grows.”

He closes with this exhortation:

“So we learn to make war, but no longer with one another. Together we battle the one Enemy who is after us and our ministries. As we do this, we all become thankful that grace has freed us from the war with one another that we used to be so good at making.”

And concerning another author, they also stated:

Last week, Steve Cornell at The Gospel Coalition blog posted some really great insight into the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. They also offered up some excellent and biblically sound steps in dealing with a situation where an offending party is hesitant to reconcile.

Here he summarizes a key distinction:

“It’s possible to forgive someone without offering immediate reconciliation. It’s possible for forgiveness to occur in the context of one’s relationship with God apart from contact with her offender. But reconciliation is focused on restoring broken relationships. And where trust is deeply broken, restoration is a process—sometimes, a lengthy one”…. His ten guidelines for those hesitant to reconcile are rooted in scripture and, I think, incredibly helpful.

1. Be honest about your motives.

2. Be humble in your attitude.

3. Be prayerful about the one who hurt you.

4. Be willing to admit ways you might have contributed to the problem.

5. Be honest with the offender.

6. Be objective about your hesitancy.

7. Be clear about the guidelines for restoration.

8. Be alert to Satan’s schemes.

9. Be mindful of God’s control.

10. Be realistic about the process.

Notice the overall blurring of distinction between the offended and offender with the subject of forgiveness.

The Cross-centered Anti-justice Pandemic is No longer Exclusively a Reformed Thing

Apart from Calvinism, the redemptive historical cross-centered approach is crossing denominational lines en masse. We at TANC see doctrines that were born of Luther’s theology of the cross in non-Reformed circles constantly; specifically, heart theology (deep repentance), exclusive interpretation of the Scriptures through a redemptive prism, Gospel Sanctification, and John Piper’s Christian hedonism. And we also see the same results. It is not beyond the pale for a pastor who has raped a parishioner to be the one counseling the victim sinner. You know, the “sinner saved by grace.”

God is a God of justice, and throughout the Scriptures He demands that we be people of justice. He demands that we come to the defense of the victim. I close with fitting words from church historian John Immel:

And this is the challenge. This is the challenge that I have as a man who is passionate about thinking: to inspire people to engage in complex ideas that drive tyranny. So here’s my challenge to those who are listening.

Do not be seduced into believing that righteousness is retreat from the world.

Do not be seduced into believing that spirituality is defined by weakness and that timid caution for fear of committing potential error is a reason to be quiet.

Do not be intimidated by vague, hazy threats of failure.

Do not let yourself believe that faith is a license to irrationality. I’m going to say that again to you. This is good. Do not let yourself believe that faith is a license to irrationality.

Do not mistake the simple nature of God’s love for a justification for simple-mindedness.

Do not deceive yourself with the polite notion that you are above the fray, that your right to believe is sufficient to the cause of righteousness. There is no more stunning conceit.

Do not pretend that your unwillingness to argue is the validation of truth.

Know this: Virtue in a vacuum is like the proverbial sound in the forest–irrelevant without a witness. Character is no private deed. To retreat is nothing more than a man closing his eyes and shutting his mouth to injustice.

Virtues are not estimates to be lofted gently against evil.

Virtues are not to be withheld from view in the name of grace.

Virtues are not to be politely swallowed in humble realization that we are all just sinners anyway.

Love is not a moral blank check against the endless tide of indulgent action.

Love is not blind to the cause and effect of reality.

Love is not indifference to plunder and injustice and servitude.

The time is now, you men of private virtue, to emerge from your fortress of solitude and demonstrate that you are worthy of a life that bears your name. The time is now, you men of private virtue, to answer Mick Jagger and all the nihilists that insist we are living on the edge and we cannot help but fall. It is time for you men of private virtue to take up the cause of human existence and think.

Posted in Uncategorized by Andy Young, PPT contributing editor on March 28, 2016

The following is an excerpt of the transcript from John Immel’s 5th session at the 2015 TANC Conference on Gospel Discernment and Spiritual Tyranny.

You have got to stop appeasing these people. You have got to stop apologizing for your own achievements. You’ve got to stop hiding your own virtues. You’ve got to stop deriding your own values. And you’ve got to stop debasing your own character. When they ask you to do these things in the name of righteousness it has one purpose; to appease the “original sin” preachers. And you have one ultimate goal, and this is to rule the world in the name of God. Do not doubt me here. their purpose and their intent is to take over government exactly like the Puritans did in Puritan England.

But here is the dirty little secret that they never want you to understand. These men can only survive in a climate of appeasement and rational subordination. Men like CJ Mahaney are the profiteers on the bankruptcy of intellectual appeasement. Men like CJ can only survive in an environment filled with weakness, uncertainty, self-doubt, and terror. He can only work his way into intellectual leadership by passing of virtues as vice, and turning vices into highest moral achievement. The hallmark of such men is that they surround themselves with mediocrity, all the while pretending to surround themselves with the elite. And God help you if you ever challenge the mediocrity. I speak from experience.

I want you to notice as you observe these men how they react to real achievement. Notice John MacArthur’s denigration of those who run institutions and countries and universities. That it’s somehow beneath their consideration. Notice how the New Calvinists thrive on making men small. Indeed the hallmark of success in these circles is the race to see who can be the smallest, the humblest, the most self-deprecating.

But do not be deceived, this is all theological fraud. It’s a mask that they wear to cover their hideous souls. And here is how you rip off the mask. The moment they self-deprecate or self-abdicate, the moment they pay homage to inability or stupidity or moral corruption, agree with them. Say, “You’re right. You ARE stupid. You know nothing. You are weak and impotent. You ARE morally corrupt. It is true, you are the personification of Augustine’s original sin moral monster.” And the step back and watch the fireworks! Watch how fast they defend their existence as smart and capable and important and [gasp!] good. Watch how fast they defend their achievements and abilities, and posture and strut and make pretense to being the world-shapers and the humble masters of men.

Why do you tolerate this? I’ve been talking for a little over six hours, and we’ve already got a little bit of hate male about me because I’m arrogant. Six hours I’ve been talking, and people won’t tolerate it, yet these men speak with impunity. Why do you appease?

So what is the real motive for the doctrines they preach? I’m going to tell you. This is a quote from Ayn Rand.

“Values are a necessity of any living organism’s survival. Life is the process of the self-sustaining, self-generated action; and the successful pursuit of values is a pre-condition of remaining alive. Since nature does not provide man with an automatic knowledge of the code of values he requires, there are differences in the codes which men accept and the goals they pursue. But consider the abstraction, ‘value’, apart from the particular context of any code, and ask yourself: what is the nature of a creature in which the sight of a value arouses hatred and the desire to destroy?”

The answer to her question is simple. All advocates of the Reformed construct are haters of man as such. They are perpetrators of the most disastrous body of thought ever perpetrated on human existence. And I tell you the truth; no matter the big alligator tears, and their bromides to love, and their endless cyber-hugs on sundry discernment blogs, and the love bombs when new faces walk through the church doors, no matter the marketing and packaging, these people hold man in contempt! They are lovers of death. They are arch-nihilists advocating doctrines that render man a living corpse. And this is who you give tacit approval to by your silence, by your fear, by your appeasement. But they are coming for you. The goal of all determinists is to rule the world in their own image. And if you don’t resist, you will get exactly what you deserve.

The primary problem with Bible interpretation is the simplicity of its truth. The Bible itself notes that diligent study is needed by every believer, but the Bible’s call to study assumes that individual understanding is the outcome (2Pet 3:16, 2Tim 3:15).

The whole seer thing and hierarchy of understanding are a scam that started in the garden with Eve’s conversation with the serpent and has dominated the world ever since. Obviously, the serpent presented himself as an additional mediator to aid in her understanding. This is what makes America so unique in human history: its tacit nod towards individualism has made it the greatest nation ever, and even at its worst, the greatest defender of freedom and a formidable foe of tyranny’s blood-lust.

And, determinism has always been a major pillar of the caste worldview; it is the premise for caste authority, and it saturates the psyche of humanity. In a stunning rewriting of historical truth, contemporary evangelicals like John MacArthur Jr. claim determinism is a ultra-unique Protestant distinctive. According to them, the nature of mankind continually clamors to be free of authority and is helplessly self-willed. Therefore, especially among the New Calvinist leadership, Americanism, and individualism, in particular, are disdained.

However, Protestantism is just another spiritual caste system like the ones that have dominated human history from the beginning. Again, the Protestant claim of uniqueness is an absurd rewriting of history. From the beginning, mankind has been plagued with fear and condemnation leading to the pursuit of pseudo-comfort in other men. Mankind has always struggled with trusting in the one Mediator alone and instead seeks counsel from the so-called experts, or sub-mediators, aka, the traditions of men. The Bible continually exhorts people to not put their trust in princes and the wisdom of men. The traditions of men, always a dumbed-down version of the law of love or, at least, the relaxing of it is the means to fulfill the righteousness of God via spiritual caste. Read the book of Galatians, that’s what Paul was addressing. While Protestants claim to be the antithesis of the Judaizers, they are in fact a prototype.

Freewill is a major pillar of God’s created state of being, and for the most part, God only predetermines an overall outcome of His choosing. Therefore, when necessary to obtain His desired outcome, He intervenes and overrides the freewill of men when necessary. We see this throughout the Scriptures, and Genesis 11:1-9 is no exception. In this passage, how can the contrast between individualism and collectivism be denied? Protestants claim that a one-world religion would be bad unless it’s Protestantism. This should make us very uncomfortable because it is also the claim of all other religions; in other words, Protestantism is just another party among many seeking control of the world…, but of course, for the “collective good and God’s glory.” Buyer beware. Please note that many of the major Protestant confessions were written for, and addressed to, world leaders. There is a reason for that.

Determinism is so entrenched in Western culture that reading the Bible for what it really says, and plainly so, is a daunting mental exercise in overcoming presuppositions. The Protestant Platonist philosopher kings have totally redefined almost every Bible word and completely co-opted the terminology. When we read the word, “elect” in the Bible, we read it as synonymous with individual choosing, rather that what it is: a classification. God predetermined the hope of salvation for all men, that’s election. The means and purpose of salvation were elected, not individuals. This is the only construct that unifies the Bible…period. Without this construct, the Bible is thrown into total confusion.

Let’s look at an example. In Romans 8:30, Paul states that whomever God calls, He justifies and glorifies. But in Matthew 22:14, we find that many are called, but few are chosen. Huh? If you look at this from individual election or choosing, it is an outright contradiction. John Calvin dealt with this contradiction by teaching that there is a class of temporarily electedwho suffer a greater condemnation for God’s glory. That’s a fact that many Calvinists conveniently leave out of the conversation.

In contrast, this is understood via the major context of Romans: the mystery of the gospel. What’s that? Oh my, this is soooo simple. Ephesians 3:6 ESV starts with, “This mystery is….” Any questions? It’s a definitive definition of the mystery of the gospel:

…that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

In other words, Paul was telling the Gentiles at Rome that if God called the Gentiles into the commonwealth of Israel (Eph chapter 2), that it was a legitimate invitation with no strings attached. The call to the Jews and Gentiles was, and is, without favoritism or respecting of some people over others. The calling is without regret by God on any wise regarding the Gentiles—they are not a lower class of elect. Paul uses the letter to the Romans to articulate the Jew/Gentile relationship to justification in painstaking detail. The calling regards a call to full and complete adoption into the family of God as equal heirs. All who are called are justified and glorified the same way.

Now Matthew 22 makes perfect sense. God invites Jew and Gentile both into the commonwealth of Israel, but only those who accept the invitation are the elect. Many, meaning both Jew and Gentile are called, but only those who accept the invitation to the wedding feast become the elect. In other words, they accept the invitation to become part of God’s elected plan of salvation and therefore are of the elect. Jesus was also making the point that being a Jew did not guarantee your salvation as was often taught by the Pharisees. They got the point and didn’t like it much. Read Ephesians 2, Romans 8, and Matthew 22 together and the clarity of this is stunning. Then start reading your Bible with this context in mind, and it becomes clearer and clearer. The common English rendering of “many called, few chosen,” should rather read, “many called, but few elect ones.” In other words, many are called, but few Jews will accept the invitation. This didn’t go over well at all.

God predetermines outcome; that is, hope and salvation for mankind and invites them accordingly. They either accept or reject the invitation via their own freewill. God, or His gospel, is not boxed in by man’s definition of Him; that is, God is supposedly limited by His intrinsic sovereignty. Though God applies His sovereignty, He is not defined by it; the love of His gospel is what defines Him…“God is love.”